PREPARING YOUR WEBSITE PROJECT
To build a personalized, custom website, we'll need to gather your content and make some critical decisions - like your business name, to start! I'm here to help you through this process. Below is a content checklist to get you thinking. Your copy is the most important piece (see Tips for Writing Effective Copy). I am happy do your copywriting if needed. Please reach out with any questions!
COPY
Website copy is all the written content that navigates the reader through your site. Good copy engages the reader, solves their problem, and leads them to taking an action (booking your service/buying your product/applying to your program). I help guide, edit, and provide tips to writing your copy - if you need a copy writer - I am available for $40/hour or I can recommend professionals.
PHOTOS
High quality, professional photos are ideal for building your brand, creating a visually pleasing and relevant story, and boosting your "conversions" (whether a viewer books your service, etc). If you don't have professional photos - don't fret - we can use stock photos. Here are a few tips I use for choosing photos for your website:
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Use emotional images. People make decisions with their emotions, and back things up later with logic.
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When in doubt (and if relevant) go human - because humans love connecting with other humans!
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Always have your target reader in mind - avoid choosing images just because you like them. Ask yourself: Will this image help my reader understand the content? Will this image further my message or be a distraction? Am I in love with this image, or does it actually add value?
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Choose photos that support your goal. Just because images improve conversions doesn’t mean you should populate your site with random images. You need to be strategic with your image choice and placement.
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Be careful when selecting stock photos - there are a lot of free stock photo sites with images that don’t give off the stock photo feel. Here are a few of my favorites:
DOMAIN
Now's the time to choose a domain. (NOTE: Please don't go and buy a domain before discussing with me first - this can cause issues and delay.) If you don't have a solid business name, I recommend using your name (ex. www.meredithcooley.com). Down the road, you can pivot your business on a name domain and thus keep your SEO rankings. Be your brand. Let's discuss.
CONTACT INFO
Having your contacts (phone, email, address, etc) listed on your site builds trust with clients and offers a better user experience. There's nothing more frustrating than being unable to get in touch with a human. Now's the time to:
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Determine how you want potential clients to contact you.
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Create a business email address that reflects the name of your business, is easy to read, and makes sense. I recommend starting a gmail account that directly reflects your business name and is easy to spell and say. Wix provides tailored emails starting at $5/month (ex. info@yourbizname.com)
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Determine your location - physical site, online or both
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Social contacts - Facebook/WhatsApp, etc
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
You'll need to email me all the links (URLs) to your social media sites to connect them to your website. I can also embed your social media into your site. Social media "embedding" is the integration of your social media posts and profiles with your website. It can be used to let your customers know you have a social media presence, increases engagement. If you want Facebook or Instagram feeds embedded in your site - I will need access to your account and password - I'll take this info over the phone and then you change your passwords for your security.
TESTIMONIALS
Testimonials serve as proof that your service or product will be valuable to the consumer. Testimonials build trust and create an emotional connection. They work like referrals, and can help explain the benefits of your services and how they work. If you don't have testimonials - now is a good time to make the ask!
MEDIA/VIDEOS/PODCASTS
If you anticipate having a decent amount of video content - I recommend using a video hosting site like YouTube, Dailymotion, Vimeo, or Facebook because the more bandwidth & storage you use on a website the more $$ you're charged per month. Most video host sites allow private content and are FREE (up until a point). Check out this article for more information: https://kinsta.com/blog/video-hosting/
PAYMENT & BOOKING APPS
Decide how you want customers to schedule and pay for your services or products. There are a ton of great apps out there (including Wix your website platform) - so do some research and find what works for you. Many of my clients use Square.com and I am available to help set you up on Square or Wix for scheduling and payments.
SERVICE/PRODUCT DETAILS
You'll need to determine the costs, session/appt lengths, membership dues, subscription costs and process, tuition costs, deadlines to apply, product variations, gift card options, etc. so they can be displayed on your site.
FORMS, POLICIES, &
APPLICATIONS
Make all your forms, applications, terms and policies available on your site for your clients' convenience Intake forms, applications, informed consent can all be e-signed. Your website can serve as an organizational hub for you too.
MEMBERS AREA
Turn visitors into members to enhance business and social websites. Create engaging opportunities to grow your site and establish relationships. With Wix Members Area, visitors can easily sign up to your site and gain access to exclusive pages and services. Once they’ve signed up, keep members updated with automatic notifications and view all activity in your dashboard - even from your Wix Mobile App. Members can view and customize personal data, track their bookings and purchases, interact with other members and more.
FORUM
Use your forum as a place for site visitors to connect and share information. Customize with a layout and design you want. Create discussion boards around your brand or shared interests, answer questions, post job vacancies, publish news and more.
RESOURCES
If you find yourself consistently referring clients to specific books, articles, podcasts or other practitioners or products - make it easy for yourself with a resource page. We can add a "bookshelf" or "referrals" page. Start gathering these links and email them to me.
EVENTS
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It’s easy. Just click “Edit Text” or double click me to add your own content and make changes to the font. I’m a great place for you to tell a story and let your users know a little more about you.
SOCIAL FEED
Proudly share your Instagram photos and videos or Facebook feed on your website. Wow visitors with all-new layouts that look amazing on desktop and mobile. It’s a great way to show off your online community and attract new followers!